Department for Transport

Travel: Coronavirus

Lord Snape: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made by the Global Travel Taskforce on the development of a COVID-19 testing regime for international arrivals and departures to and from the UK; and when such a regime might be implemented.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Global Travel Taskforce has published its report, which contains a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring there are clear public health measures, increasing demand safely and that the UK is at the forefront in leading global standards. As well as rolling out ‘Test to Release for International Travel’ from 15 December for arrivals into England, they include the continued development of potential pre-departure testing models. The UK continues to explore pilots with partner countries on a bilateral basis, including exploring different possible models for pre-departure testing. We will of course remain open to new testing technologies and other approaches that help people travel safely. As our knowledge and capacity for testing develops, so will our policy.

Global Travel Taskforce

Lord Snape: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made by the Global Travel Taskforce on its objectives; when that Taskforce expects to report; and when they expect to make public its findings.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Global Travel Taskforce has published its report, which contains a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring there are clear public health measures, increasing demand safely and that the UK is at the forefront in leading global standards. The report sets out 14 recommendations for the Government to take forward to support the safe recovery of international travel. As well as rolling out the test to release regime, they include the continued development of pre-departure testing models, studying the feasibility of a short stay business exemption, and continuing to advocate for harmonization of global standards. In addition to ‘Test to Release for International Travel’, we remain open to new testing technologies and other approaches that will help people travel. As our knowledge and capacity for testing develops, so will our policy.

Shipping: Carbon Emissions

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they voted to support amendments to International Maritime Organisation rules in relation to limiting the carbon intensity of ships; and what assessment they made, if any, of the potential impact on the climate of these amendments before casting their vote.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HMG is committed to working through the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce and ultimately phase out greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. The measure agreed at the recent Marine Environment Protection Committee represents a compromise for short-term carbon intensity improvements and provides a framework upon which we can continue to build in the coming years. This is the first step of many under the Initial IMO Strategy to decarbonise international shipping. HMG will be working closely with other Member States and the IMO to develop robust medium- and long-term measures.

Railways: Capital Investment

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government which projects are presently included in the Governance for Railway Investment Projects scheme; and at which stage is eachsuch projectat.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Every rail investment project managed by Network Rail follows GRIP. It is not practical to list the GRIP stage of each project. Network Rail do, however, publish the Enhancements Delivery Plan each quarter, which sets out progress on Enhancement schemes in delivery. The next iteration of the Enhancements Delivery Plan will be published in December.

Railways: Capital Investment

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what(1) is the timetable, and (2) are their plans, for ending the Governance for Railway Investment Projects scheme; what, if anything, will replacethat scheme; and what will be the relationship between any such replacement and the Rail Enhancement Projects Pipeline.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Network Rail’s management approach to projects is under review. Network Rail intend to replace the Governance for Railway Investment Projects (GRIP) with Projects Accelerated in a Controlled Environment (PACE) in the coming months. There is no there is no direct relationship between GRIP and the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Renewable Energy: Housing

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of local renewable energy supply in (1) enabling all homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate band C, and (2) alleviating fuel poverty.

Lord Callanan: On site renewable energy generation, such as solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, can improve the energy performance of homes, and tackle fuel poverty where it reduces energy bills. Other upgrades can also play an important role in increasing the energy performance of homes and tackling fuel poverty, such as improvements to fabric efficiency of homes, upgrading lighting, or replacing heating and hot water systems.

Renewable Energy

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the role of local renewable energy supply in (1) achieving net zero carbon emission targets, and (2) reducing emissions of CO2.

Lord Callanan: Renewable electricity generation has more than quadrupled since 2010 and low carbon electricity now gives us over 50 percent of our total. We have the world’s largest offshore wind capacity (a third of the global total) and auction prices for future offshore wind projects fell by two-thirds between the 2015 and 2019 Contracts for Difference auctions. We are working to deliver an ambitious Energy White Paper that addresses the transformation of the energy system consistent with delivering our net zero target. Small-scale low-carbon electricity generation is supported by the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), which came into force on 1 January 2020. The SEG gives small generators, such as homes with solar panels, the right to be paid for the renewable electricity they export to the grid. It reflects our continued commitment to ensuring that low carbon electricity is?central to the?transition to?the?smart?and flexible?energy systems of the future. We are continuing to offer support to communities who want to generate energy locally through the Rural Community Energy Fund.?RCEF provides funding to rural communities for feasibility studies and pre-development of renewable energy projects. In addition, the Government supports the deployment of low carbon heat through a number of different mechanisms, including through local heat networks which will play an important part in meeting our net zero targets. Provisional BEIS estimates suggest that overall emissions fell by 14.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) (3.9 per cent) to 351.5 MtCO2 between 2018 and 2019, driven mainly by the changes in the fuel mix used for electricity generation (as published in March 2020).

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Mental Illness

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the Royal College of Psychologists about the number of people experiencing severe mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic and the funding of mental health services.

Lord Bethell: We have brought forward our Wellbeing and Mental Health Support Plan for COVID-19, backed by £50 million, to set out the support available for people in the context of a second wave and the winter months. This plan sets out the steps we have taken to strengthen the support available for people who are struggling, including for people with severe mental illness.This includes the announcement that the National Health Service will receive approximately an additional £500 million next year, to address waiting times for mental health services, give more people the mental health support they need, and invest in the NHS workforce.

Coronavirus: Israel

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that a COVID-19 placenta-based cell therapy, developed in Israel, has had a 100 per cent survival rate during clinical trials.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to respond to the Question for Written Answer tabled by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 21 April (HL3216).

Lord Bethell: The Department has noted the findings from this study. The Therapeutics Taskforce is continuing to monitor any new, high quality evidence on COVID-19 therapeutics.

Coronavirus: South Yorkshire

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with authorities in Sheffield or South Yorkshire about mass testing of their populations for COVID-19; and if discussions have taken place, what response they received from those authorities.

Lord Bethell: We are already working closely with local authority leaders to tailor testing to local need. Eighty three local authorities have now signed up to receive regular batches of these new lateral flow tests, which can allow for results in minutes to enable them to start testing priority groups, including in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. This rollout will further develop the evidence base for how testing with fast, reliable COVID-19 tests can be delivered at scale.

Coronavirus: Wales

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposals by the Welsh Government toimpose a ban on those travelling from areas in the UK with a high prevalence of COVID-19 to Wales.

Lord Bethell: In England, until 2 December, people must stay at home, except for specific purposes. Different rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and we are working closely with the devolved administrations to provide clarity to citizens in all parts of the United Kingdom.

Home Care Services: Coronavirus

Baroness Campbell of Surbiton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether care assistants who are employed directly by older and disabled people but are not registered by the Care Quality Commission will be eligible for the same regular COVID-19 testing as domiciliary care workers.

Lord Bethell: We will provide further information in due course about how we will extend regular testing to other homecare workers, including non-registered Care Quality Commission-organisations and personal assistants.

Contact Tracing: Computer Software

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bethell on 1 October (HL Deb col 287), how they calculated the figure that 89 per cent of the population have telephones whose hardware and software is compatible with the NHS COVID-19 application; and what assessment they have made of the accuracy of this calculation in the light of (1) Office for National Statistics data on smartphone ownership, and (2) reports of the application's lack of compatibility with some smartphone operating systems.

Lord Bethell: Estimates using the latest data directly from Apple and Google show that 89% of people with a smartphone in the United Kingdom are able to use the app. These are a device that can install a version of the iOS or Android operating system with the contact tracing technology the National Health Service COVID-19 app uses. For Apple this is iOS versions 13.5 and higher and for Android version Marshmallow (v6.0) and higher. The 89% estimate is made up of 87% of iOS smartphone owners and 93% of Android smartphone owners.

Coronavirus: Screening

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from (1) private companies, and (2) manufacturers, about the use of rapid COVID-19 testing kits based on the analysis of saliva.

Lord Bethell: The Government has established a number of partnerships with industry, academia, local government and others to deliver its testing programme - from companies supplying testing kits and supplies to logistics and processing partnerships.This is a national effort and we are proud to be working with a number of partners on innovative solutions to increase capacity where it is needed and introduce larger scale testing. To do this successfully we are securing partnerships with suppliers to pursue new testing technologies and we are acquiring significant numbers of test kits and equipment.

Coronavirus: Mortality Rates

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional funds they plan to provide for the hospice sector to handle the rising death rate (1) during, and (2) beyond, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Bethell: Hospices have been provided over £150 million in additional funding to the hospice sector to date during the pandemic.Alongside this, hospices have benefited from the financial support offered by HM Treasury to all charities, such as paying no business rates for their shops next year and applying for a Business Interruption Loan. Charities, alongside other sectors, can also access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the replacement Job Support Scheme.The Department regularly assesses the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the hospice sector, and through NHS England and NHS Improvement, are in regular discussions with stakeholders in the sector about the challenges they face. We continue to keep funding for hospices under review.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they have established to assess independently the capacity of care homes to accept safely COVID-19 positive patients from hospital; and who is responsible for that assessment.

Lord Bethell: We are working with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the National Health Service to ensure everyone discharged from hospital has an updated COVID-19 test result and anyone testing positive is discharged to a setting that is assured to be able to provide safe care.The CQC has worked with experts to develop an online infection prevention and control (IPC) inspection tool. If settings meet the expectations set out in the CQC’s IPC tool, they will be assured as having the practices and processes in place, at the time of the inspection, to provide appropriate post-discharge care for people who have tested COVID-19 positive.

George Pascoe-Watson

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether George Pascoe-Watson participated in any (1) telephone call, (2) verbal discussion, (3) written communication, or (4) other meeting, during his time as an adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care which covered (a) policy, or (b) operational, information aboutplans (i) to put London into Tier 2 restrictions, and (ii) to introduce a nationallockdown from 5 November, to address the COVID-19 pandemic;and if so, when any such communication took place.

Lord Bethell: George Pascoe-Watson provided communications and media support to National Health Service Test and Trace. He was not privy to discussions on the policy or operational plans around the introduction of Tier 2 restrictions in London or the subsequent national restrictions on 5 November.

Hospices: Finance

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial viability of the hospice sector.

Lord Bethell: We have provided over £150 million in additional funding to the hospice sector to date during the pandemic. Alongside this, hospices have benefited from the financial support offered by HM Treasury to all charities, such as paying no business rates for their shops next year and applying for a Business Interruption Loan. Charities, alongside other sectors, can also access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the replacement Job Support Scheme.We continue to keep funding for hospices under review.

Coronavirus: Screening

Baroness McGregor-Smith: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce rapid COVID-19 testing for all workplaces.

Lord Bethell: The Department is running a series of workplace testing pilots across the United Kingdom. Early detection of positive cases is the most effective way to prevent operational shutdown in key industries, performing vital public services. These pilots will enable information gathering which will help towards the objective of gradually increasing the number of sectors participating in routine workplace testing.

Transplant Surgery: China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they hold details of organ transplant patients whotravelled to China for their transplantsince 2015.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish (1) the number, and (2) the transplant details, of organ transplant patients whotravelled to China for their transplant since 2015.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the number of organ transplant patients who received their transplant overseas since 2015.

Lord Bethell: The National Transplant Registry captures annual follow-up on all patients who receive a transplant in the United Kingdom, together with a minimal dataset on those who are transplanted outside the UK and return for follow-up care. Such transplant recipients may, or may not, become apparent to the National Health Service, depending on whether they sought follow-up NHS treatment.Data from NHS Blood and Transplant shows that 48 solid organ transplants have been performed overseas in UK residents from 2015 to 2019. Of the 48 transplants, two were reported to have been in China, one in 2015 and one in 2017. No data is recorded for patients going overseas for a transplant and not subsequently returning or for patients returning to the UK with no need for clinical follow-up and or treatment.

Coronavirus: Screening

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people who requested a COVID-19 test could not be tested on the same day from 1 until 15 September inclusive.

Lord Bethell: We do not publish data in the format requested.

Department for Education

Children in Care: Protection

Lord Laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to address the issue of vulnerable children in public care being placed in unregistered accommodation, (2) to ensure that such facilities fulfil their responsibilities to the children placed in their care, and (3) to prevent these children being exposed to (a) sexual exploitation, and (b) recruitment to County Lines gangs.

Baroness Berridge: The government is clear that children in care and care leavers deserve places to live that meet their needs and keep them safe, and local authorities have statutory duties to ensure this. It is unacceptable for any child to be placed in a setting that does not do this, for any amount of time.The government has consulted on reforms to the use of unregulated independent and semi-independent provision. This includes banning the placement of children under the age of 16 being placed in these settings. Children of this age need care and should be placed in a children’s home or foster care. We are clear that independent and semi-independent provision can be the right option for older children, if it is high quality and meets their needs. We are, however, concerned that provision is not always as good as it should be, which is why we have consulted on new national standards regarding provision for 16 and 17 year olds.If an unregistered children’s home – a setting that should be registered with Ofsted as a children’s home but is not – is operating, it is doing so illegally, and Ofsted has powers to prosecute these providers. We have consulted on giving Ofsted additional powers to take earlier enforcement action against illegal unregistered providers.We will be responding to this consultation, and setting out our plans for next steps in due course.Local authorities have statutory duties to ensure that care placements are made with consideration of the needs and risks of individual children. This extends to the use of unregulated provision. Local authorities must carry out checks on this provision to ensure that it meets the needs of children and keeps them safe. We are also aware that, due to capacity issues, some local authorities have found it difficult to locate suitable placements for children with the most complex needs. As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced on 25 November 2020, the government will provide £24 million in 2021-22 to start a new programme to maintain capacity and expand provision in secure children’s homes. This will provide high-quality, safe homes for some of our most vulnerable children and will mean children can live closer to their families and support networks, in settings that meet their needs.The multi-agency statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) makes explicit the legal requirements and expectations on individuals, agencies and organisations to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It sets out that, as well as threats from within their families, children may be vulnerable to abuse or exploitation from outside their families. Assessments of children in such cases, who are referred to local authority children’s social care, should consider whether wider environmental factors are present in a child’s life, and are a threat to their safety. This should be considered when determining what support and accommodation should be provided. The guidance specifically highlights the risks to children of child sexual exploitation, and from exploitation by criminal gangs such as county lines.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Telephones

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have made, if any, to enable people in prison to maintain contact with family members where neither in-cell telephony or secure mobile phones are available.

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government which prisons currently have video calling facilities to allow people in prison to maintain contact with family members; what plans they have, if any, to expand such facilities across the prison estate; and what the cost of video calls will be under any such plans.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: We recognise that family contact provides a crucial lifeline for prisoners. Following the re-imposition of national restrictions on 5 November, we have paused face-to-face social visits in prisons in England, except on compassionate grounds, including visits to children in custody. Family visits in Wales are permitted in line with restrictions in the community, although in some establishments with active outbreaks they have been temporarily suspended on public health grounds. We will reintroduce face-to-face social visits as soon as safe to do so, guided by public health advice alongside an operational assessment of what can safely be implemented.For those prisons that do not have access to in-cell telephony, we introduced over 1,500 secure mobile handsets which can be used to contact family and friends via the usual PIN phone system. In addition, the Prison Voicemail service and Email a Prisoner service are available in all prisons. There are also further initiatives such as unmarked letter writing resources, ‘Bedtime Stories’ which allow residents to record themselves reading a story to their child, and opportunities to make items that they can send to them.Secure video calls provide another option for families, including those with children of all ages, to stay in touch. Arrangements for secure video calls have been introduced in virtually all prisons across England and Wales. Details of which prisons are operating live services for families and friends can be accessed on GOV.UK. The remainder of the estate is expected to have these facilities by the end of December. We have committed to the fact that there will be no cost of video calls to either families or those in custody during this time. At the appropriate time, we will consider future options for video calling across the estate beyond Covid-19 restrictions.We continue to learn lessons from this to inform both the current service and longer-term planning in line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer’s reviews for maintaining family ties.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Balkans: Identity Cards

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the agreement to allow travel between Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania using only identity cards, and (2) the deal to bypass Visoki Decani Monastery.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The October 2019 agreement on ID Card travel between Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia was part of a wider initiative to promote economic cooperation between the three countries. We welcome increased regional economic cooperation in principle but believe that it should involve all six Western Balkans countries. At a Berlin Process meeting on 16 October 2020, Interior Ministers of the Western Balkans endorsed a proposal to develop an agreement to travel using identity cards among all six countries of the Western Balkans. The UK supports this inclusive regional integration and information exchange, although we have cautioned on the need to analyse and mitigate security risks to prevent Organised Crime Groups from exploiting the new arrangements.The Government welcomes the agreement on the construction of a bypass and rehabilitation of roads in the Deçan/Decane municipality, endorsed by the Implementation and Monitoring Council on 9 November. Our Ambassador in Pristina visited the site in August, and issued a joint statement with international partners calling for adherence to the 2008 law on Special Protective Zones, and subsequent constitutional court decisions regarding the Deçan/Decane land dispute. We are pleased a solution has been found that respects the rule of law, and ensures the ongoing protection of cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo.

Nagorno Karabakh: Cultural Heritage

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the vulnerability of religious and cultural sites in the Nagorno-Karabakh region; and what representations, if any, they have they made to UNESCO for the protection of these sites.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is concerned by reports that both sides in the recent conflict have desecrated and destroyed cultural heritage sites. We have not made an assessment of the vulnerability of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh but have urged both parties to respect the cultural heritage of the region. We support UNESCO's efforts to assess the impact of fighting on sites of cultural significance. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas has been in regular contact with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers since the outbreak of hostilities in September. The Minister welcomed the news of the peace deal. She noted that a peaceful settlement was essential to securing the stability of the region; this included the protection of all cultural heritage sites. The British Ambassador to Azerbaijan also raised this issue with representatives of the Presidential Administration on 17 November.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from the Armenian diasporaabout(1) the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and (2) the ceasefire agreement brokered by the government of Russia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has received several representations from representatives of the Armenian diaspora in the UK regarding the conflict and the ceasefire agreement.

Nagorno Karabakh: Peace Negotiations

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the Azerbaijan-Armenia ceasefire brokered by the government of Russia on 9 November, and (2) the prospects for a more long-term peace settlement in the region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government welcomes the ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas has been in regular contact with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers since the outbreak of hostilities in September, where she has urged engagement with the OSCE Minsk Group to ensure a sustainable, long-term, peaceful settlement.

Nagorno Karabakh: Reconstruction

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assist with (1) demining, and (2) reconstruction, efforts in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: On 30 October the Foreign Secretary announced £1 million in funding to the ICRC to support their humanitarian efforts in the region. We are working with international partners and NGOs to understand needs in the region and what further support we can provide. The UK Government is supporting the wider international response by providing funding to additional monitoring and analysis of the humanitarian situation through organisations such as the Humanitarian 2 Humanitarian network and supporting additional posts within the UN offices in-country. We continue to urge both sides to ensure the safety and security of all displaced persons, including through recent calls between the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas and the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers. The UK Government is keeping the situation under close review, coordinating with local and international partners and will continue to explore opportunities to support partners to deliver an effective international response.

Nagorno Karabakh: Peace Negotiations

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opportunities to secure a peace treaty over the disputed territories between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the recent ceasefire agreement.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government welcomes the ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas has been in regular contact with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers since the outbreak of hostilities in September, where she has urged engagement with the OSCE Minsk Group to ensure a sustainable, long-term, peaceful settlement.

Nagorno Karabakh: Humanitarian Aid

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what humanitarian aid they intend to providein the Nagorno-Karabakh region following the Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: On 30 October the Foreign Secretary announced £1 million in funding to the ICRC to support their humanitarian efforts in the region. We are working with international partners and NGOs to understand needs in the region and what further support we can provide. The UK Government is supporting the wider international response by providing funding for additional monitoring and analysis of the humanitarian situation through organisations such as the Humanitarian 2 Humanitarian network and supporting additional posts within the UN offices in-country. We continue to urge both sides to ensure the safety and security of all displaced persons, including through recent calls between the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas and the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers. The UK Government is keeping the situation under close review, coordinating with local and international partners and will continue to explore opportunities to support partners to deliver an effective international response.

Cameroon: Boko Haram

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports (1) thataid supplied to Cameroon to fight Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa in Cameroon’s Far Northhasbeen diverted to the Anglophone regions, and (2) that attempts to tackle extremist terrorist groups in the Far North are now subsequently undersupplied.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of recent reports that the Government of Cameroon is diverting resources from efforts to tackle terrorism in the Far North region to the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions, and reports that this is having an impact on the government's counter-terrorism efforts. We recognise that the Cameroonian authorities have two important security challenges to manage and we understand that some resources were reassigned in 2018.

Sub-saharan Africa: Health Services

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.

Baroness Sugg: COVID-19 has a significant impact on health, as a direct result of the pandemic but also as a result of disruption to health services globally, including in Africa. An analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 14 African countries shows a sharp decline in the demand for and delivery of essential health services between January and September 2020 compared with the two previous years. Services included outpatient consultations, inpatient admissions, skilled birth attendance, treatment of confirmed malaria cases and the provision of immunisation.To date, the UK has committed up to £1.3 billion of UK Aid to combat COVID-19 and is balancing its COVID-19 response with support to maintaining access to essential health services. Our bilateral health programmes and £340 million core contribution to the WHO over the next four years will help to support their work to strengthen health systems in vulnerable countries. The UK is also providing up to £1.4 billion for the next 3-year replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Our funding to partnerships such as the Global Fund, Gavi and the Global Financing Facility maintains essential activities, such as bed net distribution, immunisation and the provision of maternal and new-born health services.

Sub-saharan Africa: Disease Control

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on theirprogrammes to help address (1) HIV/AIDS, (2) tuberculosis, and (3) malaria, in sub-Saharan Africa.

Baroness Sugg: We expect to see a significant impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on cases and deaths from HIV, TB and malaria in sub-Sahara Africa. However, it is not yet possible to quantify the full extent to which COVID-19 has affected these disease burdens. TB case notifications have decreased this year, partly due to laboratory capacity being diverted to COVID-19 testing. The World Health Organisation has predicted that COVID-19 may cause a doubling in malaria deaths in sub-Sahara Africa in 2020. A recent parliamentary report concluded that COVID-19 has disrupted HIV service provision, with marginalised communities worst affected.The UK is flexing its funding and programming to address these effects by providing up to £1.4 billion for the next 3-year replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). This includes a contribution to the $1 billion GFATM is making available to countries to respond to COVID-19, reinforce their health systems and adapt their HIV, TB and malaria programming. The UK is also working with governments to ensure that, as far as possible, essential services for these diseases continue, with patients protected from COVID-19. We are also supporting national governments in making sustainable decisions about resource allocation to national COVID-19 programmes.

China: Protective Clothing

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of reports that factories in China have used forced labour from North Korean workers to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for export to countries including the UK; what assessment they carried out of factory conditions inChina before they purchased PPE produced in that country; what was the total value of the PPE they purchased from companies that manufacture PPE in China; and whichcompanies acted as intermediaries for such purchases.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are concerned by reports that Chinese factories have used North Korean overseas workers to produce PPE. The Department of Health and Social Care will investigate the supplier concerned. The UK urges all countries, including China, to meet their obligations under UN Security Resolution 2397 to repatriate North Korean workers, who are sent overseas in large numbers to earn money for the North Korean regime.We take all allegations of modern slavery and forced labour extremely seriously. We expect suppliers to follow the highest legal and ethical standards and to carry out proper due diligence for all government contracts. We publish all contracts for transparency and regret the delay in the publication of some but all will be published as soon as possible. Information is already available online on Contracts Finder on the Gov.uk website. We have been working tirelessly to deliver PPE to protect our health and social care staff on the frontline, with over 5.1 billion PPE items delivered so far.

China: Freedom of Speech

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of reports that Cui Haoxin was arrested in China for speaking out against the treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang; what representations they have made to the government of China (1) about his case, and (2) about freedom of speech and media freedom in China.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are concerned at reports of the detention of Cui Haoxin. Although we have not raised this specific case with the Chinese authorities, we oppose all efforts to curtail freedom of expression or freedom of speech, whether in China or elsewhere. We have consistently raised media freedoms with the Chinese authorities and will always defend the right of journalists to do their job.

Cameroon: Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports (1) that military equipmenthas been diverted from Cameroon's Far North to the Anglophone regions,and (2) that the Cameroonian military has been implicated in human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings in the Anglophone regions, what discussions they have had with theMarshall Aerospace and Defence Group about its contracttoprovide maintenance, technical support and training to the Cameroon Air Force's fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is deeply concerned about reports of human rights abuses and violations by both armed separatists and security forces in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions. We continue to call for investigations into all such reports. As the UK's International Ambassador for Human Rights set out at the UN Human Rights Council on 15 September, those who have abused and violated human rights in Cameroon, as anywhere else in the world, must be held responsible.Since Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group was awarded a contract in 2019 to provide maintenance, technical support and training to the Cameroon Air Force's fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft, a representative of the British High Commission in Cameroon has discussed the contract with the company, as part of our support to British businesses overseas

Indonesia: Rainforests

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, as part of their coordinated international efforts to address climate change, when they last discussed with the government of Indonesia (1) the issue of increased deforestation in Papua, and (2) allegations of illegal and deliberate fire setting by commercial interests in Papua’s rainforests in order to clear the land for palm oil production.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As part of our coordinated international efforts to address climate change, the UK Government works closely with the Government of Indonesia on shared objectives to reduce and avoid deforestation and improve the sustainability of Indonesia's palm oil sector, including through regular bilateral engagement. Our partnership incorporates UK support for a number of programmes designed to reduce and avoid deforestation in key forested provinces, including Papua and West Papua, as well as thematic programmes to promote the Government of Indonesia's initiatives on palm oil sustainability and better governance of the forest and land-use sector.

Overseas Aid

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the level of overseas aid in 2021.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Due to the severe impact that the pandemic has had on our economy, we are taking the tough decision to spend 0.5 per cent of our national income next year on Official Development Assistance, rather than the usual 0.7 per cent. Despite these fiscal pressures, we remain firmly committed to helping the world's poorest people and we will retain our position as a leader in the global fight against poverty. The government intends to return to the 0.7 per cent target when the fiscal situation allows.

Nigeria: Human Rights

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they employ any staff based in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region who are responsible for monitoring (1) religious persecution,and (2) human rights abuses, in those states.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government maintains a network of regional offices in Nigeria, including in Kaduna State. This network facilitates information gathering and engagement with state governments for our High Commission in Abuja. The network monitors human rights issues, including freedom of religion and belief. We will continue to make clear to the Nigerian authorities at the highest levels the importance of protecting human rights for all.

Nigeria: Christianity

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have provided any funding to Christian non-governmental organisations in Nigeria since 2018; and if so, which organisations.

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they haveprovided assistance toany programmeswhich support Christian communities in Nigeria's Middle Belt region since 2018; and if so, which programmes.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government works with a range of partners in Nigeria but does not allocate aid on the basis of faith or religion. Since 2018, the Government has provided funding to Christian NGOs, including the Christian Blind Mission and the Christian Association of Nigeria. The FCDO works with the Christian Association of Nigeria alongside other faith-based organisations to support community peacebuilding and conflict management efforts. The FCDO has also provided funding for Christian Aid and the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development to support communities recently displaced due to violence in Kaduna State, which includes Christian communities. We continue to encourage the Government of Nigeria to take urgent action to protect those at risk of intercommunal violence, to bring perpetrators to justice and to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence and meet the needs of all communities.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Fraud and Maladministration

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of (1) fraud, and (2) errors, in the social security system in England and Walesin each of the last five years for which records are available.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Whilst the publication includes numbers for previous years, changes in recording methodology mean that comparisons cannot be made with years prior to 2018/19. The Department’s estimates of fraud and error are published annually and are available on line via gov.uk. Fraud and error in the benefits system remains very low, with 96.5% of benefits paid correctly. The vast majority of benefit expenditure is paid correctly, with front line staff working hard to prevent incorrect and fraudulent payments. We are constantly improving our processes and continue to invest in the use of data and analytics to identify fraud and to better target our investigations.Once rolled out, DWP expects the high-level design of Universal Credit to lead to around £1bn in benefit savings each year from reduced fraud and error.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Tobacco: UK Trade with EU

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to negotiations on a trade agreement between the UK and the EU, what assessment they have made of the impact of Rules of Origin requirements on (1) the UK tobacco industry, and (2) finished tobacco products imported into the UK from the EU from 1 January 2021.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In the event of a Free Trade Agreement with the EU, as with all Free Trade Agreements and all products, the Rules of Origin for finished tobacco products would be specific to that agreement. The exact rules will be discussed and decided through the negotiations, which, in this case, are still ongoing. The UK and EU have held substantial discussions on Rules of Origin and Defra has supported these conversations.

Environmental Land Management Scheme

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have (1) to encourage, or (2) to ensure that the environmental and other enhancements that will be included in Environmental Land Management Schemes will also take place on farmland where the owners and land managers have decided not to take part insuch Schemes.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Environmental Land Management scheme is being designed to be attractive to a wide range of farmers and land managers to deliver the environmental objectives of the scheme. To achieve this, we are working closely with a range of environmental and agricultural stakeholders to design the scheme collaboratively. The scheme will operate alongside other policies to meet the Government’s objectives.

Home Office

Refugees: Resettlement

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many refugees were settled in the UK in (1) 2010, (2) 2014, and (3) 2019.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. These can be found at  www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statisticsTo access the number of refugees resettled since 2010, access the latest statistical release using the link above, then “data tables”, “asylum and resettlement” and select either the summary or detailed resettlement tables. The next set of figures will be in the quarterly release on 26 November 2020.(see attached)Asylum Application Data Sets - 2020  (xlsx, 7556.8KB)

Migrant Workers: Interpreters and Teachers

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the letter from the Home Secretary to the Migration Advisory Committee, published on 23 October, on what evidence they based their decision"not to immediately accept the recommendations" contained in the report by the Migration Advisory CommitteeReview of the ShortageOccupation List: 2020,published on 29 September,that teachers of modern foreign languages and interpreters be included on the Shortage Occupations List.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The recent review of the Shortage Occupation Lists (SOL) was commissioned at a time when the main variable under consideration was the broadening of the skills requirement to include RQF level 3-5 occupations.The UK labour market has changed dramatically due to the economic impacts of the measures necessary to tackle Covid-19. Many UK based workers now face an uncertain future and need to find new employment opportunities. The Government is clear our migration policies need to be considered alongside our strategies for the UK labour market.Whilst we have considered carefully the possible impacts of the new immigration system, additional variables such as Covid-19 require closer examination. To avoid taking a piecemeal approach to implementing the MAC’s advice, we need time to monitor the various influences on migration flows and the labour market, including introduction of a new immigration system, and whether this is in line with our anticipated outcomes, before considering which changes are required.

Windrush Generation: Compensation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what amount in total has been paid to claimants under the Windrush Compensation Scheme to date; and how much remains to be paid.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many claimants have received compensation under the Windrush Compensation Scheme to date; and how many claimants are yet to receive compensation.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Information on the amount in total that has been paid to claimants under the Windrush Compensation Scheme and the total amount of claimants that have received payments to date is available to view on GOV.UK at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/windrush-compensation-scheme-data-october-2020. There inevitably is a high degree of uncertainty around estimated costs and volumes and the Home Office will continue to review estimates as more payments are made. However, there is no cap on the amount of compensation that the Home Office will pay out.A total of 196 claimants have received payment up to the end of September 2020. We are processing claims and awarding compensation as quickly as possible. The first payment was made just four months after the scheme was launched and we are making interim payments where parts of a claim can be resolved more easily than others.An offer must be accepted by a claimant before it can be paid, and claimants have a right of review. Overall, the value of all payments made through the scheme was over £1.6m. A further £1.2m had been offered to individuals, awaiting acceptance or pending review. https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/08/27/windrush-factsheet-august-2020/. The published figures also show that 80 claims have been rejected on eligibility grounds and 81 claims had a zero award under entitlement.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Planning Obligations

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of their proposal to abolish section 106 agreements on the provision of necessary new community infrastructure in areas where (1) the local authority has set the Community Infrastructure Levy at zero, and (2) such infrastructure is currently funded through such agreements.

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government which local planning authorities in England have set the Community Infrastructure Levy at zero.

Lord Greenhalgh: Our consultation on the planning reforms proposed in the white paper ‘Planning for the Future’ closed on 29 October. We are now analysing responses, and will be engaging with external practitioners, including local authority representatives, as part of this process. We will publish our conclusions and intentions in due course.Currently, local authorities can choose whether or not to introduce the Community Infrastructure Levy: 50 per cent of authorities have introduced the Levy. Authorities which charge the Levy can choose what types of development it applies to, depending on viability evidence, and where, within their area, it applies. Authorities who charge the Levy are required to publish their charging schedule on their website, including identifying any areas or types of development for which zero rates apply.

Energy: Social Rented Housing

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Clean Growth Strategy, published on 12 October 2017, what plansthey have to ensure that social housing is brought up to the same energy standards, over a similar timetable, to that proposed for the private rented sector.

Lord Greenhalgh: In the Charter for Social Housing Residents – Social Housing White Paper published on 17 November 2020, we committed to review the Decent Homes Standard. We will ensure that the Decent Homes review considers how it can work to support better energy efficiency and the decarbonisation of social homes.At the Chancellor’s summer economic update, the Government announced a £50 million demonstrator project to start the decarbonisation of social housing during 2020/21. This will encourage innovation and help inform the design of the future Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.At the Spending Review 2020, The Chancellor announced £60 million of further funding for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, to continue upgrading the least efficient social housing.The Prime Minister announced an extension to the Green Homes Grant which social landlords are eligible to bid for. This will fund up to two thirds of the cost of hiring tradespeople to upgrade the energy performance of homes.

Housing: Construction

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for the future of the New Homes Bonus scheme.

Lord Greenhalgh: Since 2011, the New Homes Bonus has rewarded local authorities for housing growth in their area, providing £8.8 billion to local authorities in England in respect of a net increase in housing stock of 1.9 million homes. As part of the Spending Review, the Government has announced that there will be a further round of New Homes Bonus under the existing scheme in 2021/22. However, we are committed to reforming the New Homes Bonus to ensure it is focussed on incentivising homes where they are needed most and we will consult on changes to the Bonus, for 2022/23 onwards, shortly.

Housing: Standards

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the commitment to implement the Future Homes Standard by 2023 was removed from The ten point plan for a green industrial revolution, published on 18 November; and if so, why.

Lord Greenhalgh: We committed in Planning for the Future to review the roadmap to the Future Homes Standard to ensure that implementation takes place to the shortest possible timeline. We will be publishing the Government response to the Future Homes Standard interim uplift consultation as soon as possible. This will set out a roadmap to the Future Homes Standard.

Local Government: Elections

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of plans by the Welsh Government to allow councils to adopt the Single Transferable Vote system for local government elections; and whether they intend to introduce such powers for English councils.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government does not intend to introduce such powers for English councils. This Government has made a commitment to continue to support the First Past the Post system of voting on a national and local level.

Treasury

Monetary Policy

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of quantitative easing on the increase in house prices compared to increases in wages.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Monetary policy, including decisions on quantitative easing, is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. The separation of fiscal and monetary policy is a key feature of the UK’s economic framework, and essential for the effective delivery of monetary policy, so the Government does not comment on the conduct or effectiveness of monetary policy. Detail on the impact of monetary policy, including quantitative easing, can be found in the Bank’s working paper: "The distributional impact of monetary policy easing in the UK between 2008 and 2014."

Economic Situation: UK Relations with EU

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the economy of uncertainty of the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The government has been clear that the transition period will end on 31 December 2020 and that this will bring both changes and opportunities, regardless of the future trade relationship with the EU. The Government has provided certainty about the actions businesses and individuals need to take in preparation for the end of the transition period through the ‘Time is running out’ campaign and published the ‘Reasonable Worst Case Scenario’ for borders illustrating the costs of a lack of preparedness while there is still time to prepare. At Spending Round 2019, the government provided £2 billion of funding to departments to prepare for the UK’s exit from the EU. These preparations have continued over the course of 2020. SR20 provides over £2 billion to support repatriation of functions from the EU and to take back control of UK borders. The end of the transition period also brings opportunities for the UK to seize and Spending Review 2020 supports this. For instance, ensuring the UK’s economy is ready to attract the best and brightest from around the world as the government introduces a new points-based immigration system, with an additional £217 million to deliver the Future Borders and Immigration System, and ensuring departments can make the most of the opportunities this freedom provides, with effective promotion of the UK to investors around the world, including through the new Office for Investment.